Aunt Cass
by Madi Starlight
Summary: Cass, once the aunt of two genius nephews. The girl who's joy in life revolved around her family and baking. Life was always too good to be true and slowly it started to fall apart. Can she learn the lessons needed to pick herself up? One-shot, sort of from her perspective because I had a lot of feels. Wrote it super quick. Don't expect much.


**[Note: I figure if Cass is the aunt, then she has to be Hiro and Tadashi's aunt on their mom's side. Because...her ethnicity doesn't seem likely to have the last name "Hamada"...sO. For this story, that's who she is. Just so you're not confused~]**

Cass, once the aunt of two genius nephews. The girl who's joy in life revolved around her family and baking. Life was always too good to be true and slowly it started to fall apart.

First her parents, one after the other. Could they have lived longer? Sure. But they died happy, so at least there was some peace as her and her sister wished them goodbye. Oh her sister, that weirdo who fell for that Asian nerd in highschool.

"Imagine what your kids are going to look like." She'd commented one late night as they stayed up giggling and watching movies. They would talk for hours, imagining their lives in a few years, but mostly about her sister. It was an often occurrence. An equally as often Cass would pester her sister about her love-life.

Then of course, years went by. They graduated high school and not long after, came the wedding. To Cass, it somehow encompassed the very essence of San Fansokyo: rich in culture but with modern accents and colors that danced before your eyes. Despite protests, she couldn't ignore her sister's "_Pleeaasee_, Cassie! No one makes better, more beautiful cakes than you do! It doesn't even have to be fancy!" But of course it was, and she stayed up for two nights in a row to make sure it was perfect. "He's still a nerd." Cass commented, adjusting her sister's dress. "But you look beautiful! Eeee! I'm so excited!" Though, internally, she was a little bit nervous. She and her sister were so close. How would things change after the marriage?

For a little while she felt awkward with the brother-in-law. That wasn't the case for long. He brought in all new elements of culture, family, and ideas that never ceased to end. Soon they became an inseparable family. The new Hamada's often dropped in and pushed Cass to pursue her dream of opening her very own cafe. With their help, it became reality and eventually her beloved cafe was born -and just in time for the newest addition to their family: Tadashi Hamada. And wasn't he the cutest thing. "He's so good! Doesn't he ever cry?" Her sister had responded with a resounding, very tired, "yes". And so she became "Aunt Cass", or as Tadashi soon came to pronounce it, "Aunt Cahss."

Years went by and she did her best to be a doting aunt, enjoying watching her tiny nephew grow into a brilliant, silly but polite boy. Then came Hiro, and everything changed. She watched Tadashi take on his jealous role, complaining how "Mom likes him better and he can't even say pwease!" To which she'd laugh and say how much his parents loved him too. To make him feel better she'd let him help in the cafe. One day, while she was babysitting, the six year old noticed his aunt cleaning by herself. "Aunt Cahss, you look lonely."

She'd looked up, startled. "What do you mean, Tadashi?"

"You need a fwend. I was watching tv and the man said that- he said that 'studies show that pets help, help people feel better' and stuff."

After the shock and awe of the intelligent response wore off she set her sponge down and wiped her hands off. She'd never thought about getting a pet before, but hey, maybe it would be nice. "All right, what kind of pet do you think I should get?" She asked, checking on a sleeping infant Hiro.

"A cawt."

"A cat? Why a cat?"

"Daddy said they're good luwk."

"Oh did he?"

Later that week she'd brought him along to pick her new pet. "Mochi" they'd named the funny kitten, after a favorite frozen yogurt topping they shared on the way there. And for some reason, Mochi did help. Besides, everyone seemed to love seeing him around. Life continued to get sweeter and sweeter.

Then the accident happened.

And her world was turned upside down.

She went from "Auntie" to a surrogate mother and caretaker. Did she have any idea how to do that? No. And how on earth was she supposed to raise two little boys by herself and manage a cafe that was growing to be very popular? The first few years were hard as they all went through their grief and adjustment. Hiro was too young to do much but cry in want of his parents, not really understanding the concept that "They can't come back". But Tadashi, he had questions that she couldn't answer. Sometimes she thought she wouldn't make it. Those nights she'd think of her sister and remember how she'd promised to take care of them. "Why me?" Of course, because her sister and her husband directly wrote than in the event of something extreme, they were to be left in none other but Cass's care. So she promised to be strong for the boys and to try. "I'll try, sis. I'll try."

Tadashi grew to be the very glue that held their family together. He resembled so much of both his parents, and gosh was he smart. Always so optimistic. She felt bad sometimes that he had to grow up so fast, so she made sure now and then to treat him and make sure he knew how much she appreciated what he did for her and Hiro. "You're a better mom than I am!" And they would laugh and do silly things while his little brother questioned their sanity. After some time, life became easy again. They'd adjusted to some form of normalcy, but more importantly, they were happy together. Once again, life was fulfilling.

So why did all that end? Cass: The girl who'd lost and lost again. First her parents, then her sister -who knew her better than anyone, her brother-in-law who really was a brother, and now...Tadashi. Of course she had every right to be selfish and wonder why everyone she loved was taken from her. Even Hiro seemed so, so distant. Though she tried her best to comfort and cheer him up, it wasn't enough. _She_ wasn't enough for him, and she might never be. She sat in front of a set of tombstones where her lost sister, brother-in-law, and their son lay. "I'm so sorry." She said breathlessly. "I told you I would try my best. I promised to take care of him. And I tried, sis. I tried so hard. But I didn't do anything really. I couldn't. I was never qualified. I don't know what to do. I need you here. I need all of you. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry..." The words fell off her lips in streams like the tears on her face, and gingerly she stroked each of their names before leaving each their favorite treat from her cafe. Dorayaki for her brother-in-law, a chocolate cake for her sister, and an anko filled cupcake for Tadashi.

It wasn't a week later before she was back again, this time, with different tears.

"Hey guys!" She was almost laughing. "So guess what! I'm doing great! Business is really good. Hiro's in _college_! Can you believe it?! I mean whoo-hoo, right! So awesome, you know?! And he's already a busy-busy-bee. Just like you weirdo's. Work, work, work, yeah? He said he'll stop by to tell you himself but I couldn't resist because I'm just so _excited_! Oh, oh! And Tadashi, all your friends are helpin' him out and it's so great. We-"

She stopped to take a breath, sighing.

"We're going to be okay."

Another pause, this time she kneels and leaves flowers. "And sis?"

"Thanks for marrying that weirdo-nerd. You gave me the best thing I ever-didn't-know I needed. Okay, well maybe it crossed my mind, like, once, but not the point here. I'm going to keep working at this whole parenting thing, kay? For you. I hope you appreciate the time and effort I put into this thing because, whew, it's exhausting. I'm going to try. Because if Hiro taught me anything this week,

Family never dies."


End file.
